
20
SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON" QUARTERLY
the sky seemed as usual,
but the moon, which was at its full, had
the appearance of blood."—Milo Bostwick.
The Stars.
"Extensive and magnificent showers of shooting stars have
been known to occur at various places in modern, times; but
the most universal and wonderful which has ever been recorded,
is that of the 13th of November, 1833, the whole firmament, over
all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery commotion.
No celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since
its first settlement, which was viewed with such intense admira-
tion by one class in the community, or with such dread and alarm
by another. . . . During the three hours of its continuance,
the day of judgment was believed to be only waiting for sunrise."
—"Oil?' First Century," by B. M. Devens, page 3,29.
2.
A definite message, announcing the coming of the King
and the immediate establishment of the eternal kingdom spoken
of by seers, and looked for by God's people through all ages,
constitutes one of the surest signs of the end of the world. Just
such a message as this is now being carried to all parts of the
world, and the end is near.
3.
In addition to an increase in the knowledge of the proph-
ecies as indicated in the text, we may note the increase in general
knowledge as described in the following extract:
" To appreciate them [the wonders of this age] let us briefly
contrast the conditions to-day with those of a hundred years
ago. This is no easy task, for the comparison not only involves
the experiences of two generations, but it is like the juxtaposition
of a star with the noonday sun, whose superior brilliancy obliter-
ates the lesser light. . . .
"As we make the backward run of one hundred years, we
have passed by many mile-stones of progress. Let us see if we
can count some of them as they disappear behind us. We quickly
lose the telephone, phonograph, and graphophone. We no longer
see the cable-cars or electric railways. The electric lights have
gone out. The telegraph disappears. The sewing-machine,
reaper, and thrasher have passed away, and so also have all india-
rubber goods. We no longer see any photographs, photoengravings,
photolithographs, or snap-shot cameras. The wonderful oetuple web
perfecting printing-press, printing, pasting, cutting, folding, and
counting newspapers at the rate of 96,000 per hour, or 1,600 per
minute, shrinks at the beginning of the century into an insignifi-
cant prototype. We lose all planing and wood-working machinery,
and with it the endless variety of sashes, doors, blinds, and furni-
ture in unlimited variety. There are no gas engines, no passenger-